Love is Infectious
by SilverMikazuki
Summary: Naruto likes Neji. Neji's not so sure. Will a mission bring them together?


**Love is Infectious**

A Naruto Shippuden Story

A NejiNaru Story

"Talking" '_thinking' emphasis_ Narration

**Author's Notes: **I don't really know why – I think it may be because Neji is my favorite character and Naruto is easily and wonderfully paired with almost anyone – but I love NejiNaru. And in fact, this story line was originally intended for a different pair. But after reading a story with a bit of NejiNaru, and then a few more, I knew I had to write a NejiNaru story! And my brain wouldn't let me come up with a different storyline so, that's how this story was born! I hope you enjoy it!

Btw, it contains **SLASH**; so if that upsets you, then don't read this!

Btw2, this takes place after Pain's attack. The village is still in its rebuilding stage. 

NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru

"I like you Neji."

That was how it began for the teen Hyuga. A confession. A confession that blew his mind to a point of no return.

"I mean I…" The love struck ninja began. "I _really_ **like **you."

Neji stood motionless, his blank eyes widening with surprise. With all his powers of perception, never in a million years would he have seen this coming. What did this mean? How would he go on?

"…N-neji…?" The boy muttered, his bright blue eyes meeting the lavender ones for only a second.

'_He deserves an answer. I need to speak._' The Byakugan-user thought, his mind still racing. "I… I don't know what to make of this Naruto."

The blond sighed. "I kind of figured. You were never the best with handling emotions. It's… something I find sorta adorable."

"_Naruto_," Neji breathed. He didn't need anymore confusing thoughts. He needed time. He needed clarity.

"Right… sorry," The jinchuriki replied. "Look Neji, we've… we've been getting along so wonderfully these last few weeks. And I… I don't want to ruin that. You have no idea how hard this was for me. I just… I felt like I had to tell you. I felt like I could really trust you. Neji… I… please don't let this affect our friendship. I can control myself. It doesn't have to seriously change anything, _really_…"

The Hyuga sighed. "_Naruto._"

"Please Neji… I've already lost my best friend once… don't make me go through it again," He whispered softly. "_Please_."

Whatever thoughts Neji had were wiped from his mind at that moment. Naruto had revealed more than a crush at that moment. He'd said that the stoic, often-reclusive ninja, was his _**best **_friend. And that was more than Neji had ever heard from anyone in his life. It was something he couldn't give up.

"This means ground rules. Ones you _must_ stick with," The brunette said, looking to his blond friend for a reaction.

Naruto's head snapped up a second later, his blue eyes shinning with happiness. "Really! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The lovesick boy latched onto his crush with a bone-crushing hug. A contented sigh left his lips before he heard the Hyuga's words.

"Naruto. _Naruto._ Let _go_," Neji sighed, squirming awkwardly in the embrace. He'd never been good with hugs and this… this was too much.

"Right, sorry." Naruto mumbled, jumping back with a scarlet blush covering his whiskered cheeks.

"The rules go as followed," Neji said quietly. "No unnecessarily long touching. No dreamy looks. Don't dare even _think_ anything… _dirty_."

The younger ninja turned purple at that. He nodded furiously as his gaze at the ground intensified.

"There will be no barging in at obscene hours unless it's an _actual_ emergency," The Hyuga continued. "And there will be no showing up unannounced. But… I would like to keep this friendship."

Naruto grinned and jumped forward for a hug, stopping just before he reached the object of his affection.

"Whoops…" He said shyly as he stepped back. "I'll get better. Promise Neji-san!"

In the distance a pinkette yelled the blonde's name, waving angrily for him. With a quick, 'See ya later, Dattebayo!' Naruto was gone, leaving Neji alone with his thoughts.

The Byakugan-user thought back, sifting through years of memories. He'd met the blond ninja at the chunin exams. Their battle had changed everything, and the subsequent mission for Sasuke's retrieval had further shown him the sapphire-eyed ninja's power. But for a while after, they'd separated; each traveling their distinctive roads, towards their different destinies – not that he believed in such things, not since him, not in the same way. Still, they had in fact gone their separate ways.

Only after Pain's attack on the village had they had their reconnection. During the weeks of post-destruction, Konoha was in desperate need of repair, both physically and mentally. It's buildings needed to be rebuilt and the people needed to feel secure. Naruto and Neji became the perfect pair for the job. With the warm comfort that the hero who defeated pain brought, coupled with the cool sensibility of the Hyuga prodigy, the people of Konohagakure felt safe. The two also provided rather efficient handy work; sufficient numbers as well as cautious eyes.

More than simply to satiate the needs of the people, this pairing brought something both needed – friendship. For the optimistic blond a sense of security that was lost through betrayal, and for the stoic brunette, an inspiring force that reminded him of the lesson learned years ago. It was a kind of yin-yang union that had balance: different, yet the same.

And then all of _this_ happened. Neji sighed. He loved his friendship with Naruto. Thinking quietly to himself, he could admit that seeing his blond friend was often the highlight of his day. Besides inspiration, Naruto brought fun. It was as simple as that. The perpetual ball of sunshine gave his life happiness and excitement. After all, Neji rarely spent a moment apart from training, and any he had to spare Naruto took to show him a good time. Now… the Hyuga couldn't imagine it another way.

Which meant, that he couldn't possibly break off their friendship, not to mention that doing so would absolutely crush Naruto. And who could do that? The Byakugan-user wasn't _that_ cold. The look in the blonde's eyes at even the thought had made his heart ache. He couldn't do that to Naruto. It wouldn't be fair.

Neji sighed, even if he couldn't live without him, in _this_ condition, how would he live _with_ him? The fan girls were one thing – he detested them, but he could keep his distance so no harm was done – but Naruto… if the jinchuriki lost his cool it would just create a distinct awkwardness, one that wouldn't pass with time.

Maybe time would heal the blonde's heart, maybe now that he had been… turned down, he could move on. The lavender-eyed ninja hoped so. The sudden twinge in his heart be dammed. Somehow they would work though this. Neji allowed a soft smile to grace his lips. He was sure of it.

"N-neji nii-san!" He heard suddenly, as his timid cousin came into view.

Hinata! Shit! The love-struck girl had been head over heals for the blond since the beginning. How badly would news of his… _preferences_ affect her! She was already so low on self-esteem.

"H-hinata-sama," Neji replied, clearing his throat from the stutter. "Is there… something you wanted?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion, but the look was soon off her face. "A-actually Nii-san, the Hokage-sama has asked to see you in her office."

He sighed with relief. A mission, that was all. He offered a quick thanks and started towards Tsunade's office. He was stopped.

"N-nii-san, there's also… s-something else I was wondering," The girl muttered. He turned to see her pushing her fingers together nervously.

He stared at her expressionless, desperate to keep his poker face. "Yes?"

She cleared her throat before continuing, her face now a bright red. "I-I wanted to know… how you r-responded to Naruto-kun's… c-confession."

He felt his mouth drop in astonishment, but his stoic face was quickly back in place. She knew? How did she know? He studied her face carefully, thankfully noting that while she seemed timid over her intrusion, she was not upset over her long-time-crush's choice.

"I… we will remain close friends," He answered finally. The prodigy was still a bit shocked by it all.

Hinata frowned. "Oh. I s-see. Well Nii-san, p-please… keep more than your eyes open."

With that the purple-haired ninja was gone, leaving her cousin to sort through her words. Keep more than your eyes open? What exactly was she implying? That he was _close_-minded? He knew he was unsociable at times, but he was not closed off, _was he_? He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He could figure that out later. At the moment, a mission called for his attention. Thank God. He needed a distraction. If he was lucky, it could put this entire mess out of his mind, at least for a day or so.

But then again, when was Neji Hyuga _ever_ lucky?

NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru

"Neji, good, you're here," The Hokage said, gathering a set of files in her hands.

The brunette nodded politely and stepped into the room, but his eye was quickly caught by the bright orange figure on the far side her desk.

Naruto grinned at him bashfully as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey Neji."

Deadpanning as subtly as possibly, the Hyuga closed the door behind him and stood beside the younger blond, his eyes focused on his superior.

"The mission, Lady Tsunade?" He asked, inwardly cursing himself as Naruto frowned next to him.

Tsunade looked between the two ninja once, before clearing her throat and looking to her papers. "Anbu Intel has recently discovered a plot against the Leaf. The people involved are unknown, but we believe that they are select ninja from each of the other ninja villages. They are acting independently, which is another reason that this mission is so important."

Neji nodded as he processed the information. However, he was still missing one main issue. "Of course. So what is the mission exactly? And I suspect that Naruto will be accompanying me?"

The medical ninja furrowed her brows, a bit confused by the Byakugan-user's words. Sure, they were accurate as always, but there was something about the way he said them. There was something between these two. Normally, it would be none of her business, but when it concerned her little Naruto, it _was_. She let out a breath and steadied her eyes, watching for the subtle signals.

"Yes Neji, he will," She answered finally. "As for the mission, we believe that the final meeting for planning this strike will be held at a club. It's a bustling scene with a lot of security, there's also a back room that should be perfect for the meeting. With the public setting we can't just storm in, and a small strike team might have a problem getting past the security."

"I see," The Hyuga said finally. "And so this is an undercover mission. We will infiltrate the club and then the meeting."

Again, the Hokage nodded. "Yes, the two of you will simply enter the club as one of its many patrons. However, there is one part of the mission that is somewhat particular, and completely necessary."

"What d'ya mean Granny?" Naruto asked suddenly, a puzzled look on his face.

The older blonde's face erupted in a sly grin. "It's a gay club. And the two of you will need to go in as a couple."

The whiskered ninja sputtered hysterically in protest, his face alight as he waved his hands around frantically. His blue eyes look nervously back and forth between his maternal figure and his crush.

"N-n-no way! Granny Tsunade t-there's just… I mean… w-we can't! I'm not…. I couldn't… send someone else with Neji!" Naruto cried, his eyes still flitting uneasily between the two ninja.

Tsunade sighed deeply, resting her face atop her hands. '_At least now I know what the big secret is. Neji, huh? I never would've thought.'_

Neji's calm, but commanding voice broke through the jinchuriki's frantic sputters. "The mission will go on without a hitch. We will not fail." His lavender eyes turned to the sun kissed boy beside him. "Will we?"

The blond looked panicked, but eventually he sighed and calmed himself, the blush still present on his cheeks. "Of course. It'll go great, Dattebayo!"

"Good. Then you set out tonight, at twilight," The Fifth Hokage replied. She offered her fellow blond a sympathetic smile as he left the room.

Once outside, Naruto turned to his crush and fell to his knees. "Neji, I _swear_ that this isn't a ploy. I had absolutely no idea that was going to happen. If you don't want to do it I'm sure Granny Tsunade won't mind switching me for someone else."

The elder boy only rolled his eyes. "Naruto, I know you didn't set that up. Your blush is proof enough. As for switching, I can easily see why Tsunade-sama chose us for this mission and it would be foolish to try and change it. We have the talents needed as well as the chemistry. It is the logical choice."

"Really? We… _do_?" Naruto asked, a dazed look in his eyes.

"_Naruto_."

"Right, sorry. Won't happen again," He replied, looking away.

The Byakugan-user sighed wearily and started walking back towards the Hyuga Compound. "I will meet you at the gate at twilight Naruto. Please try not to be late."

Naruto stood and nodded furiously before running off to get ready. He blushed as he thought of the mission before him. If it was a club… he'd have to look _nice_. It was like a date… only… _forced_. Again, he shook his heads of the thoughts. As much as he _loved _that idea, Neji was counting on him not to lose his cool.

NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru

The Hyuga approached the gates exactly as the sun was dipping below the horizon. He was surprised to see his blond partner already waiting, and dressed… _nice_. Sporting a pair of dark black jeans that clung tightly to the blonde's legs, and a burnt orange t-shirt under a light black jacket, Naruto looked rather different that in his usual jumpsuit. Not to say that the brunette hadn't changed as well. He had decided on loose grey jeans and a white button down shirt, the top few buttons left open.

"You clean up well Naruto," Neji commented. He inwardly slapped himself as soon as he'd said it, but again he was surprised. The jinchuriki was showing restraint.

The blush was clear on his cheeks but he only muttered a quick, "Thanks, you… too."

"Alright, well the club is quite a distance from here, though not enough to justify a two day trip. We should make it by eleven, an hour after it opens. That should leave us plenty of time. Once we're within distance, we'll begin with our cover. Naruto… you asked if I was uncomfortable with this, but… if _you_ feel like it's too much, at any time… let me know," The lavender-eyed teen explained, as calmly as possible. "I don't want anything to negatively affect our friendship… okay?"

Naruto smiled softly, a grin full of sincerity and happiness. This was why the blond loved him. He really… _really_ cared. "I'll be fine Neji-san."

The pair took off into the forest, leaping from branch to branch as they made their way to the scene of the mission. Soon, they heard the bounding music and saw the brilliant, shining spotlights that lit up the air. Landing softly on the ground, the two exited the trees to finish to trip on the main road. Neji brushed a strand of hair behind his ear and reached out for Naruto's hand.

"A-are you sure…?" The blond asked, a light blush on his cheeks.

The elder ninja only nodded, tangling his fingers between the tanned ones before him and giving the nervous hand a squeeze. "It will be fine Naruto… Naruto-kun."

Another scarlet blush erupted on his partner's face, but Neji wasn't concerned, it would only add to their story.

The line for entrance was long, too long. At the rate they were moving, the brunette feared they might miss the meeting entirely. He looked to his friend for assistance, his pale eyes showing his concern.

Naruto smirked, winking at the teen with confidence. "Don't you worry Nej! I'll have us in there in _no_ time."

Slipping out of the line, the jinchuriki walked up to the bouncer, a large beefy man who stood with his lips pursed and his chest out. Neji strained to see what was happening, but with the large line ahead of him, he couldn't see a thing. The next thing he knew, Naruto was back and waving for him to follow. They were inside the club a second later.

"What did you say to him?" Neji asked curiously.

A foxy grin erupted on Naruto's face and his eyes sparkled with mischievousness. "That's for _me_ to know, and you to _never_ find out."

He walked off into the dancing crowd as the Byakugan-user furrowed his brows in confusion. The Hyuga followed closely behind, watching as his partner swayed his dark jean-clad hips to the music. Neji smirked as he noticed the other stares. He hurried his pace and tangled his fingers through the blonde's. Naruto turned with an eyebrow raised, but then continued forward.

Once in the back of the room they sat at a small booth and Neji leaned in close, hoping that it was enough for them to keep a conversation secret.

"Okay, well I don't sense any jutsu in place. I should be able to use the Byakugan to find the back room. Then we'll work on finding a way in," Neji said, his eyes watching the room slowly.

He got no response. Neji elbowed the blond lightly and his friend jumped, but still said nothing. The lavender eyes turned to focus on the newly blushing whiskered cheeks before him.

The Hyuga sighed. "What?"

"Y-you're… kinda… umm… c-close…" The jinchuriki muttered, his breath tickling the side of Neji's face.

Wow. That was close. The brunette pulled back and his partner's blush receded. He quickly repeated the plan and finally received a 'Yeah, Dattebayo!' for his troubles.

Neji rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep the smile from his face. Even during a mission Naruto kept things interesting. He always made the elder ninja feel like more than he was. And the Hyuga had to admit… his heart surged with pride at the jealous glares sent his way. Naruto had chosen him, for whatever reason, he had.

Taking a breath, the Byakugan-user activated his Kekkei Genkai and scanned the room slowly, going over each and every inch. In retrospect, the all-seeing jutsu was barely required. The entrance to the back room was a large set of double doors, and the only thing between them and the room was a short velvet rope… and a set of rather large bodyguards.

The leaf ninja shrugged inwardly. Maybe Naruto could work his way past them, as he had with the bouncer, but just as he was about to inform said partner of the plan he was interrupted by a foreign voice.

"Hey hot stuff," A young redhead said, winking at the blond jinchuriki.

Naruto blushed and his eyes flashed to his crush before turning their attention to the teen. "Uh, hi."

The boy was tall, about 6 feet or so; he wore tight blue jeans and a button-down plaid shirt that was left open to reveal a tight mesh top. His freckled face and bright green eyes twinkled with a certain cockiness as he admired the blond before him. He didn't even take notice of the Hyuga a few inches further into the booth.

"You must be new here," The teen remarked. "I think I'd remember a cutie like you. Name's Roy; what's yours?"

Again, Naruto's whiskered face colored. "N-naruto. I umm… yeah this is my first time. I uh…."

That's when Neji intervened, looking around the dumbstruck blond and smirking at Roy. "He came with me. We're together."

Roy frowned, but it didn't seem to deter him. He leaned over the table, his face only inches from Naruto's.

"I don't see why you'd want to waste your time with him. He seems like a stick in the mud. Come with me… and we can have some _real_ fun," Roy continued, reaching up to trail a finger along the jinchuriki's jaw line.

Naruto was lost for words. He wasn't prepared for this. A few months ago no one would have looked at him other than to sneer and even after his fight with pain he'd received praise and adoration, but… a come on was something completely different. After years of rejections from Sakura and a complete betrayal by Sasuke… even Neji had turned him down – if extremely nicely. Neji. The fox container had almost forgotten. How dare this… guy just do this! With Neji _right _there! They were… _pretending_ to go out. But still!

He opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by the forgotten brunette beside him. "He'll have _plenty_ of fun right here thank you."

A pale hand snuck around his head, pulling him into a heated kiss. Naruto gasped, his eyes widening with surprise, but the initial shock was soon melted away by unadulterated bliss.

The Hyuga pressed his lips against the chapped pair before him. He smirked at the glare Roy was sending him. It could be said that this was simply a wave of jealousy, but they had a cover to uphold. And he needed the blond for the mission. Neji snaked his tongue into the jinchuriki's mouth, tasting the salty ramen the boy had almost everyday and a spicy element that he could only categorize as _Naruto_. Finally, Roy left, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. Neji broke the kiss.

Leaving his blue eyes closed, Naruto savored he taste of Neji… like tea – calm and crisp. He sighed as he let a dazed smile form on his face. He couldn't here the booming music, or the soft, but stern words from his partner. He could only see the last minute play itself in his mind, over, and over again. That was _way_ better than he could have imagined.

"Naruto. _Naruto_, the _mission_," Neji breathed, shaking the tanned teen lightly. Eventually, the boy came out of his daze.

He looked up with pensive eyes. "Sorry… I… that was… umm… _unexpected_."

Neji groaned inwardly. Getting rid of Roy aside – and the strange pleasure it brought the lavender-eyed ninja – that was a bad move. He was trying to help his friend get _over_ his feelings, not increase them.

"I apologize Naruto… but we need to continue with the mission, and he was in our way. I didn't mean to… over step our boundaries," The Hyuga replied.

Naruto sighed, but nodded. "Of course. You… didn't. What've you got?"

Neji laid out his findings carefully, his eyes looking across the room at the entrance he was speaking about. His partner nodded silently and glanced over. He frowned.

"I don't think I'll be able to work my way in there," He muttered.

The brunette frowned. "Why not?"

If Naruto couldn't get them in, they would need another way; preferably one that didn't include exposing themselves as ninja as they forced their way through.

"The guards aren't… uh, gay," The blond explained, scratching his cheeks in embarrassment.

The Byakugan-user furrowed his brows. How could he tell? And exactly what did their sexual preferences have to do with… _oh_. "You… flirted your way in."

Naruto colored. "…Yeah. But… umm… maybe there's another way into the room? We only need to get close enough to listen in. Did you see a vent?"

Only half of his partner's suggestion entered the Hyuga's mind. He was still caught up on the blonde's earlier actions. He'd flirted? That was how they had managed their way into the club in the beginning. He had flirted, with a complete stranger. As silly as it sounded, Neji couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. _He_ was the crush after all. But the elder ninja shook his head of the thoughts quickly.

He activated his visual jutsu and looked back towards the double doors. Beyond the bouncers, there were the doors and a long hallway. At its end, he noticed the small, but thought out room, and the six or seven people seated at the table in it. He looked around, a small vent was located just above them, but the shaft ran straight up, they would have no way to stay in place. There was little to no cover in the room itself, but… _there_. In the far corner, another door swung open and a woman walked through, carrying a plate of food. A door to the kitchen, Neji surmised.

"Yes," He relayed. "There is a door to the kitchen. If we could make our way in… and there is another entrance in the far corner of this room."

Naruto grinned, cracking his fingers in front of him. "Leave it to me, Dattebayo! I'm a master at Henge!"

They stepped out of the booth, moving onto the dance floor and into the heavy crowd of moving dancers. In the midst of the face-paced songs and the swinging limbs, Naruto transformed, taking on a new face as well as the waiter's uniform. Just as quickly as they'd entered, the pair was out of the crowd and heading towards the kitchen doors.

Neji lifted a hand to brush his hair back and tapped his ear as he sent a look to his partner. He walked past the kitchen doors and took a seat at the bar.

Naruto nodded subtly and headed through the swinging doors, as he switched on his radio. He wouldn't be able to speak to the Hyuga, but he could hear him and Neji could hear what was going on around him.

"What are you doing!" A voice shouted suddenly, pushing into Naruto from behind.

The jinchuriki held his breath, but remained calm. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, that our VIP guests are _waiting _for their food! And your standing around like an idiot!" A short, balding man yelled, shoving a tray of food into Naruto's arms.

Naruto apologized quickly and hurried through the swaying door at the back of the kitchen, food in hand. A few other waiters and waitresses rushed past him as he entered the room, but they didn't hinder his vision. He scanned the room and made a note of each and every face.

There were exactly six people in the room, none with headbands on, but the former blond could tell that they were all ninja. He wordlessly passed out the food, but did so slowly, hoping to pick up as much information as possible in the short amount of time he seemed to have.

"The preparations have been made then?" A young woman asked, playing with her necklace.

The older man across from her nodded. "Yes, and we have the exact route of each of the caravan's mapped out, each one takes one stop before they continue to the Leaf. We should be able to completely halt all supplies to the Village with a few consecutive strikes, each at the time of the stop."

"And it will only take the aforementioned numbers, correct?" Another man questioned: younger than the last, but definitely older than Naruto.

Beside him, a beefy woman laughed. "What does it matter? We have more than enough ninja, despite what the fools running our villages believe. The people see the value of keeping the Leaf from returning to power."

The rest of the table nodded with agreement. Naruto set the last plate of food down and started out the room. As he went, he noticed that the chairs were marked, each with a different symbol – the villages. Mist, Cloud, Stone, Sound, Grass and Rain, each had a representative. Tsunade had said that they were acting individually of their governments, and this was true, but they had supporters.

It was as he passed the man closest to the door that the plan went awry. Neji had been correct. There was no sensory jutsu in place, no preventative measures in the main dance room, but in the meeting room they had a sensory ninja. The representative from the Grass was an expert in perceiving chakra, especially when molded into a jutsu. As Naruto passed him by, the man instantly realized the Henge.

"We have an intruder!" He shouted, leaping from his chair and pointing at the waiter who had just reached the door.

The others snapped their gaze in the spy's direction and stood from the table.

"Damn… so close," Naruto muttered as he pushed the doors.

Something wrapped around his waist as he exited, pulling him back into the room. He released his jutsu and returned to normal as he pulled out a kunai from his waist. He slashed down at his waist, but something caught his hand in mid air. The blond looked over. The Mist ninja had transformed his arms into tentacle like appendages that were wrapping themselves around him as they pulled him in.

He bit his lips as he thought. None of the other ninja moved, but they were tensed, ready. Only the man from the grass looked unprepared for a fight. There was only one way. He moved to make the sign for his signature jutsu. Every muscle in his body tensed as a jolt surged through him. He went limp in the ninja's hold a second later.

NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru~NejiNaru

The Hyuga was panicked. There was no other word for it. Naruto had been discovered and then his comm. had gone off line. He was captured, Neji was sure of it.

Forcing himself to relax, the lavender-eyed teen activated his jutsu, the veins about his temple bulging. He watched as his partner was tied to a chair, a chakra dampening jutsu added to the binds. Neji released his Byakugan. His breathing was labored with fear. No. He needed to remain calm. He forced another deep breath. Naruto couldn't be held by that jutsu. He had the nine-tale's chakra. Still, he was outnumbered and Neji running in frantically would not help.

They would interrogate him. The Hyuga was sure of that, and as the club didn't close until late, he was sure that they would keep him here, at least until then. Naruto would awaken in a few minutes and that's when Neji would have to make his move.

The bright blue eyes fluttered open, his vision still fighting off the haze of unconsciousness. The sharp slap to his face cleared his mind pretty quickly.

The beefy woman from the Stone stood above him, looking down with a sneer on her face. "Let me guess, Leaf?"

Naruto grinned. "What gave me away? Was it the stunning good looks? I bet it's pretty new from anything _you've_ seen."

His head jerked back as he received another slap. The elder Cloud ninja sighed. "There is no need for this young one. We realize that you are working with someone. Tell us who, and we can make your death painless."

"Go to hell," Naruto muttered, twisting his wrists in his binds.

The Stone ninja laughed. "He has spunk. It is a shame we will have to kill him."

"Do you really believe his ally, or allies, have not already left?" The Sound woman asked.

A young rain ninja replied. "I do. I have a feeling it is only one, and I think we still have a chance. After all, I've asked for no one to be allowed to leave. None of the patrons will be leaving for some time."

"What if they were not in the building? He had a radio," The Sound ninja continued.

"Don't worry so much! A cute one like this? His partner will try something! I can feel it!" The Stone woman argued, squeezing her prisoner's whiskered cheeks.

Naruto tore his face from her grip and glared. Would he? Would Neji come for him? No… he was a man of principle. They had learned what they needed to. Neji would report it. It's what he should do. The blond bit his lip. Selfish as it was… he couldn't help but hope that his crush would save him, not out of fear for his life… but so that he would know that Neji cared for him. He almost laughed out of its sheer absurdity.

"Well then kid?" The Stone ninja asked again. "Going to talk? Because you know… it would be just wonderful to try out some jutsu first."

She made a sign and her fist crusted over with steel. The jinchuriki ground his teeth, and pursed his lips. He was saying _nothing_. Not that he would ever betray the Leaf, or anyone for that matter, but they were asking much more than that. They were asking him to intentionally hurt Neji, and he would rather die.

All six ninja turned as the vent crashed into the table, followed by the pale-eyed figure. In one fluid move, he landed in a crouch and threw two kunai; one, hitting the Grass ninja in the chest, and the second passing between his partner's side and the chair, tearing into the rope holding his wrists together.

In an explosion of red chakra, the jinchuriki was up slamming into the Stone ninja with all his strength. A white blur passed him by, spinning as it connected with the other four ninja quickly – a few jabs each. It wasn't enough to completely shut off their chakra networks, but it was certainly enough to make them double back.

Meanwhile, the Stone ninja was crushed again the table, a fist in her stomach. Naruto flipped off of her and landed beside the Hyuga, grinning widely.

"Took you long enough," He said happily.

His partner let out a kind of long-suffering sigh as he rolled his eyes. "You're lucky I came at all. Now hurry."

The pair turned dashing out of the room, Neji offering a quick half-rotation as two tentacles shot toward the door. They were out and through the back door before the employee's knew what had happened. Soon they were racing through the trees on their way home.

Neji looked back, his Byakugan activated and slowed his pace. No one was following. He turned to the blond beside him, who quickly got the message. They jumped to the ground, both panting as they rested against the trees.

Naruto was the first to break the silence. "That… was awesome. We make… an _amazing_ team Nej… seriously."

He chuckled as he looked to his crush.

"We certainly do," The Hyuga replied, smirking. He'd thought it over. Despite the chaos of the last few minutes, he had waded through his thoughts at least a hundred times. And the result was clear, each and every time. He rolled his eyes inwardly as he realized how right the blond was; he had never been good with emotions.

Before he could talk himself out of it, the lavender-eyed teen strode over to his perpetual ball of sunshine and pushed his hand into the blond locks, his eyes boring deep into the deep blue ones before him.

Naruto was stunned, plain and simple. He gasped, his hands pressed up against the toned chest as the distance between them lessened. He was confused, but he knew enough to blush. And then, Neji kissed him. Sure, it wasn't there _first_ kiss, but this one wasn't for show. It couldn't be for their cover and it was so much… _better_ than their last.

Again, he tasted the soothing chill that was Neji Hyuga and he savored every second. A part of his mind was shouting for him to stop, to demand some kind of explanation. But hell, he was a horny teenager and the guy he'd fallen for was kissing him. Did he really need an explanation?

The need for air separated the two and a new dazed grin covered Naruto's tanned face. "Uh… w-what was…?"

Neji's smirk grew wider. "I realized something Naruto. Something I most likely should have realized some time ago."

The huge, beaming grin gave away the jinchuriki, but he asked anyway. "Oh yeah? And what might that be?"

"I like you Naruto," The Hyuga began. "And by that I mean I _really_ **like **you."

Naruto laughed, giddy with joy. "Ya know what Neji-kun? I'm not sure that's enough, because I _love_ you."

The pale eyes widened a bit in surprise. "I love you to Naruto. How could I help it? You're love is too infectious."

The fox container laughed again, this time, through a kiss.


End file.
